


I Think I Want To Marry You

by SpitFire20



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-29
Updated: 2020-04-28
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:55:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22023691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpitFire20/pseuds/SpitFire20
Summary: In honor of their royal wedding on December 28th, 2019. God bless this couple. They're a force to be reckoned with and they are going to change the world.
Relationships: Ashlyn Harris/Ali Krieger
Comments: 35
Kudos: 194





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> In honor of their royal wedding on December 28th, 2019. God bless this couple. They're a force to be reckoned with and they are going to change the world.

“I think this is the one,” Ashlyn announced, slightly tipsy as she stared up at the very loud party house. Based on the amount of cars in the street, she assumed maybe forty or fifty people were there from the college. The cabin itself was nice, but she was more interested in the inside.

Whitney, her best friend, shrugged from beside her and shoved her hands into the pockets of her jeans. “Seems like Kappa’s sorority cars. I thought you said it was a frat party that Matt invited you to. Is this the right cabin?”

“Maybe. But this is the address I got from Kim.”

“Kim? But you mentioned Jess gave you the address?”

“Did I?” Ashlyn chuckled to herself, shrugging once. “I was slightly drunk last weekend when I was given the information, so who knows who said what? The point is, we’re here at a party. Might not be the right one, but it's still a party.”  
Whitney chuckled, and both started to walk the small pathway up to the front door. When they passed a particularly nice looking car, the shorter blonde whistled in awe. “Wait, isn’t that–”

“Carli’s car. So this party is monitored." Ashlyn frowned. Carli was great, but she was very good at stopping Ashlyn's buz when she had to. "Whatever. We’ll make it work.”

They made their way up the house and Ashlyn immediately reached for the door. When she found it locked, Whitney looked at her confused and rang the doorbell.

They were presented with none other than Ali Krieger fifteen seconds later.

Long dark brown hair curled around her shoulders and down her back. A short, thigh high black dress that hugged her curves up onto the spaghetti straps around her shoulders. She raised one manicured eyebrow at Ashlyn, eyeing her black pants, boots, and white t-shirt all the way up to the shoulder length blonde hair with curiosity and annoyance. “You’re not invited.”

Ashlyn cocked her head to the side, eyeing the loud party behind Ali before meeting her gaze again. “How do you figure?”

“Because it’s my party. It’s my cabin. Besides, I’d know if I invited you.”

“Because I’m stunningly attractive?” Ashlyn smirked, shoving her hands into her blazer and giving Ali the best smolder she could.

The brunette didn’t fall for it. “You’re not supposed to be here, Ashlyn.”

 _Interesting_ , Ashlyn thought. She’d actually never met Ali in person. “So you know me?”

“I know your reputation.”

Dammit. Whitney sighed next to her, rolling her eyes. The blonde tried to do some recovery work quickly. “What do I have to do for you to let us in?” Ashlyn asked.

Ali chuckled without amusement, closing the door behind her and stepping out onto the porch. The music immediately quieted down with the barrier. “You’re not staying, Ashlyn.”

“I’m not that bad,” she said defensively.

“You’re not exactly wearing a halo over your head either.”

“I’ll behave. I’ll be an angel. I promise.”

Ali momentarily looked annoyed. “Are you this desperate for free booze or are you just this horny for a quickie in a bathroom?”

Ashlyn didn’t even flinch. “Is there a right answer that gets me in the party?”

Ali groaned with annoyance this time. She looked Ashlyn up and down one more time before her gaze jumped over to Whitney. The long haired blonde was still just standing there, looking slightly bored and concerned at the same time. “Whit, you’re her babysitter.”

The blonde’s eyes immediately widened. “What? No.”

Ashlyn agreed. “I don’t need a babysitter.”

“Either your Whitney’s responsibility, or you can both go home. I know her. I trust her. I don’t know you,” Ali pointed out, nodding towards Ashlyn.

Whitney sighed. Ashlyn, although she wasn’t happy, really wanted into this party and gave her best friend the biggest puppy dog eyes that she could. The poor girl gave in and groaned her unhappiness loudly. “Why does this have to be put on me?”

“Please, please, please,” Ashlyn practically begged. Ali raised her eyebrow in amusement at the sound. When Whitney tilted her head contemplating, Ashlyn knew she had her. “Yes!”

“Wait,” Whitney protested, holding one finger up. “I have to agree to this, first.”

“I’ll buy you coffee everyday for a month,” Ashlyn answered quickly.

“Deal.”

Ali eyed them both before turning and heading inside, shaking her head at them. Ashlyn would be lying if she said she didn’t give her a quick once over as soon as she turned. The dress really fit her perfectly. And it was extremely attractive in her slightly intoxicated state.

“So,” Ashlyn asked quickly before they walked in. “You know her?”

“And I know she’s too much woman for you to handle. Be nice.”

______________________________________

Ashlyn couldn’t help but keep her eyes on Ali Krieger for most of the duration of the party. She was beautiful, but she was also charismatic as she talked to everyone, seemed to know details about everyone and what they wanted to hear. She was the life of the party, a hell of a dancer, and Ashlyn counted six shots in her system and the brunette never batted at eye at it.

To say the least, Ashlyn was very attracted to her. Extremely.

She stood in the corner, her third whiskey in her hand as she watched. She knew a small smile and an intrigued expression was plastered on her face, but she couldn’t help it. Ali Krieger was a mystery, and a beautiful one at that.

“Can you not stare at her like that?”

Ashlyn ignored her best friend who sidled up next to her, eyes still glued to the back side of Ali Krieger. “I can’t help it.”

Whitney sighed, tossing back some more of her Corona. “She’s never going to go for someone like you.”

“Meaning what?”

“She’s old fashioned,” Whitney mentioned, smiling at some guy as he walked by and gave her a once over. Ashlyn rolled her eyes hypocritically. “Courtship. Flowers. Respect. Especially the respect. And she likes people that don’t openly stare at her like she’s a piece of meat.”

Ashlyn threw back the rest of her drink and for the first time in ten minutes, looked away from the dancing brunette and looked at her best friend. “How do you know all this?”

Whitney smirked. “Ali and I are actually really good friends. When I tell you I’m leaving to go to Jack’s house, that’s actually Ali’s.”

Ashlyn’s eyes widened in offense. “What? That’s why I never met Jack? You said it’s cause I’m embarrassing.”

“You are. And I knew that as soon as you saw Ali, I’d have to deal with it. Therefore, here we are. If I would’ve known we were going to come here, I would’ve tried to talk you out of it. I had forgot Ali mentioned a cabin party until she opened the door. Talk about instant regret.”

“Are you sure you’re not gay?”

Whitney frowned. “What?”

“I mean, you kept Ali all to yourself. That’s gay.”

She rolled her eyes. “Shut up. God, I need another drink to deal with you.”

Ashlyn chuckled as Whitney shoved her and walked off. At that moment, she glanced back at Ali one more time. And the brunette, to her surprise, was looking at her too. And the look in those brow irises was sultry, sexy, and HAD to say something. Ashlyn took another drink of whiskey, just to have something to do, and she about spit it out when Ali smirked and winked in her direction.

Ashlyn felt that wink through her whole body. “I’m going to marry that girl one day.”

____________________________________

With sunlight peaking in through the nearby window, Ashlyn opened her eyes tiredly and immediately covered her face with her left arm. The fabric below her felt foreign, and the weight beside her was heavy on her right shoulder, and music played from the kitchen that she knew wasn’t her normal style. It took a few moments before she got her bearings enough to look to her right and see which broad fell on top of her last night.

Then she noticed the couch cushions. The blankets. And the blonde head of hair.

“God, Whitney, you’re heavy,” she groaned, sliding out from under her but Whitney just wrapped her arm around her and held on tighter. Ash, despite the love of her best friend, was tired and hungover and desperately needed some water and an Advil. So she tried again. “Whit, let go.”

She shook her head, burying her face in Ashlyn’s shoulder. “No. Comfy.”

“Well, I’m stuck.” Ashlyn protested.

“Warm.”

“Stiff and currently in pain.”

“Sorry.”

“No you’re not.” Ashlyn finally pried Whitney’s hand away and tried to stand up, but she miscalculated how far she was from the edge of the couch and she fell. Butt first, hit the carpet, and her elbow jammed against the coffee table and two empty bottles of beer fell to the floor, cranking noises loudly.

She tensed, though Whitney didn’t move, and briefly looked around. Then she had the epiphany.

“We never left?” Ashlyn asked Whitney.

The blonde’s face was now shoved into the pillow of the couch, but she answered into the fabric, “Ali said you were too drunk.”

Ashlyn frowned, rubbing her eyes still seated on the floor. “Was I bad?”

“No,” she answered, lifting her head. “Although, you did mention that you were in love at one point, and you started browsing for wedding rings on ebay.”

Ashlyn’s eyes widened. “Bullshit.”

“She’s in the kitchen making omelets, go as her if you think I’m lying. And let me sleep.” The blonde turned her back now to Ashlyn, grabbing the blanket and covering her head now.

With no other choice, Ashlyn decided that she’d face the music and her drunken embarrassment. After yanking out her phone to check and make sure she wasn’t a complete mess, she stood and made her way into the bedroom clumsily.

She froze in the doorway when she saw the scene before her.

Ali, in a t-shirt, no pants, barefoot, dancing to some pop music of some sorts, with her brunette curls up in a bun and those hips on display as they swung back and forth to the music. Ashlyn’s eyes were glued to the girls legs, and she had to swallow the lump in her throat.

But she had to clear it to do that, and Ali turned at the noise.

“Hey, Stud. Look who’s alive.”

Ashlyn knew that tone. Girls use it all the time when she does something stupid. She decided to face the music and stepped up to the bar, dropping into the stool. “Can I go ahead and apologize for anything I did in the past eleven hours?”

Ali chuckled, sliding a coffee cup across the counter and looking at Ashlyn intently. “Do you remember what you’re apologizing for?”

“Whitney mentioned declarations of love at one point.”

With a chuckled, Ali nodded. “That would be one of the big ones.”

“I really am sorry,” Ashlyn said, holding the coffee with both hands and taking a long sip. Ali had turned back to the food, but Ashlyn continued. “I just – I’m not sure what came over me. But I really am truly sorry.”

“Whitney held true though. She did her best to keep you in line. And then she slipped some melatonin in your drinks and you passed out once the dramatics started. I'm not sure if that was something you're not supposed to mix with alcohol, but you're alive obviously so it worked out.”

Ashlyn turned and glared a the blonde figure covered by blankets. “So she’s the reason I’m so exhausted.”

“She’s the reason you didn’t sleep in the grass,” Ali shot back. “Be nice to her.”

“You’d make me sleep outside with the trash?” Ashlyn asked with fake offense.

Ali chuckled, turning from flipping one of the omelets and slid it onto a plate. “I don’t put up with bullshit, Ashlyn.”

“Damn. Pretty sure Whitney would say I'm full of bullshit.”

Ali grabbed a fork, threw it on the plate, and slid it over to her with a napkin. “I know.”

Looking down, she stared at one of the most perfect views she’d ever seen. Tomatoes, spinach, onions, bacon, and eggs all browned and mixed together in the perfect roll. Her mouth watered just looking at it.

Before eating, she looked up to meet Ali’s eyes over a cup of coffee that the brunette had to her lips. “She can cook too?” Ashlyn asked with a smirk.

Ali winked. “She can do a lot more than cook, honey.”

“Will I ever get to see what that entails?” she pushed. Her luck was wearing thin, but she was going to do her best to see what she could get out of the brunette.

And the other girl just smiled wider. “Only if you're good."


	2. With Arms Wide Open

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of you wanted an extra chapter, so I wrote one. Sorry it took like 4 months, I had practically no motivation there for a while in regards to this story. Hope you enjoy this though!

Ashlyn sighed as she watched Ali go into her next class, turning with a wave and a wink before the door closed behind her. The blonde touched her cheek where the brunette teased her with a kiss, closing her eyes and tilting her head back to hit the wall dramatically.

She stayed like that for a few seconds, and then a few seconds longer. With a deep breath, she straightened up to walk over to her class across campus when –

“How’s it going with you two?”

“Jesus, Whit,” Ashlyn yelped, frightened by the appearance of her best friend suddenly behind her. Whitney raised an eyebrow in question. “You can’t sneak up on me like that.”

“You’re never this jumpy. What’s up?”

“It’s Ali..”

“So I ask again, how are you two?”

Ashlyn glanced back at the door to the Public Relations course Ali was taking before grabbing her bag, gesturing for Whit to walk with her. “It’s slow.”

“Slow? How slow?”

“Glacially,” Ashlyn said with absolute disappointment. “You mentioned she goes slow and does the whole courting thing, but God Whitney. You undersold Ali Krieger hard. I’ve never been so wound up for so long before. I bench pressed one eighty-five yesterday from just pent up energy because of that woman.”

Whitney laughed loudly, opening the door for Ashlyn to walk into the sunlight and onto the paths between buildings. Students were passing back and forth, occasionally bumping into one another. The foot traffic was terrible in the fifteen minute segments between classes.

“That bad, huh?”

Ashlyn groaned loudly as she thought about her recent celibate lifestyle. “It’s been three weeks, Whitney. Three. Nothing has happened either besides those stupid kisses on my cheek and Ali’s winking she likes to torture me with. She kicks me out of the room at like ten o-clock every night, stating that if I stay I may try something. I’m starting to have withdrawals. Hell, we’re going slow enough that I may never have sex again until I’m forty-five.”

Whitney continued to laugh at her friend’s expense. “I’m surprised you’re still committed if you’re this torn up about it. You haven’t even stopped at bar yet.”

“Ali said that if she seems me doing anything close to cheating or scandalous, that I can kiss my chance goodbye.”

“That sounds like commitment.”

Ashlyn nodded once incredulously. “Right?”

“Like dating committed.”

“That’s the thing,” Ashlyn said with a snap of her fingers, “I’m even more confused. Last night, she said we’re not dating. NOT. N. O. T. But I can’t kiss other people while she figures out if I’m worth it or not? I mean, she mentioned I have to prove myself and show I’m willing to wait, but God. This is exhausting. I haven’t even kissed her yet, so God knows how long this is going to take.”

Whitney patted Ashlyn’s shoulder with her left hand, feeling both amused and sympathetic for her friend. “You typically would’ve given up by now, so why are you still trying?”

“To prove a point. And I’m too pissed off to quit.”

“What point?”

Ashlyn straightened up and glared back at the building that held Ali at the moment, as if she could yell at the building to make her feel better. She thought better of it, turning back to keep walking up the hill. “The point is that Ali can play all she wants, but she’s just as attracted to me as I am to her. And she’ll break before I do, God help me.”

“I won’t argue she likes you,” Whitney said with her hands up in surrender. Ashlyn was getting heated now. “I mean, she looks at you all the time, smiles when you’re around. She obviously likes you. The difference is she has more control over no finger than you have in your whole body.”

“Her control is going to put me in a coma.”

“Don’t you mean an early grave?”

“Oh no,” Ashlyn chuckled maliciously. “That would be way too easy for Ali. She likes to watch her victims suffer. Like a sadistic little warrior princess. She’s Hades reincarnated to look like Aphrodite.”

Whitney rolled her eyes. “Don’t be so dramatic. She protects her heart.”

“Yeah, yeah, blah blah. She’s got a cage around her heart and a chastity belt around her vagi–Ow! Hey!”

Whitney pulled her hand back from slapping Ashlyn’s head. “Talk about Ali in any way other than respectful, and I’ll kick your ass.”

Ashlyn looked stricken and hurt. “So you’re against me too? My own best friend is no longer my side-kick?”

“You forget, I’ve known Ali longer than you’ve known her. My loyalty lies to both of you, even if you’re my best friend.”

“That’s not how loyalty works. You have to pick one.”

Whitney shrugged. “And maybe she wants me to try to keep you in line too.”

“Seriously?

“Seriously. You still owe me coffee for a month, but Ali is literally helping me graduate with how much tutoring she’s given me. I owe you both equally. Plus, watching you squirm is the most fun I’ve had since we became friends.”

Ashlyn stopped in front of the science building now, glaring at her so called best friend. “I hate you.”

“No you don’t,” Whitney laughed. “You hate Biology,” she pointed to the building, “which is your next class and you’re almost late. Since you have to drop Ali off at all her classes, you’re really pushing the times.”

“She makes me carry her books,” Ashlyn whined pathetically. “Besides, I don’t hate biology.”

Whitney gave her a look. “Yes you do.”

Ashlyn smirked. “I don’t mind studying certain parts up close and personal.”

“Oh my God,” Whitney stated dramatically, shoving her friend towards the building. “Get in there before I vomit.”

\----------------------------------

“Hey you.”

Ashlyn smiled as the hands that snaked around her neck from behind, the kiss to her cheek. It had been a month of basically living as Ali Krieger’s infatuated assistant with no form of payment whatsoever. And it was bad at first, but now Ashlyn has gotten slightly more… comfortable about it. Almost used to it.

She smiled up at the brunette as she athletically hopped over the back of the couch, landing beside Ashlyn with the pile of books draped across the coffee table. “You sure have decided to make yourself at home, huh?” she chuckled, pointing to the mess.

Sydney, a good tattooed friend of Ali’s who lived in the sorority house too, looked up from the window seal where she sat and studied. “Yeah, she has, but I don’t mind it, personally. It’s not like Ashlyn isn’t nice to look at.”

Ali blushed, glaring playfully at her friend. “Back off, Leroux.”

“Oh, please. Even Dom admires Ashlyn. We all do. From head to toe and all the tattoos in between.”

“I second that,” Kelley said with a hand up, reaching down to snatch some Skittles from the candy bowl on the way through the living room, Alex, Emily, and Lindsey following close behind. “She’s a babe.”

“Agreed,” Alex teased.

Kelley winked in their direction before reaching the door and yanking it open. “By guys, we’ll be back later. See ya, Ashlyn.”

“Oh!” Emily turned, pointing towards Ali, “Don’t forget the thing we talked about with the hot surfer chick you’ve got by the collar.” Ali waved her off and Alex grabbed the youngest member of the sorority, yanking her outside with a look to Ali.

“Ignore her Ashlyn!” And then the door slammed shut.

The blonde tried to focus on the books instead of the conversation. She was always teased when she spent any amount of time at the sorority house that Ali lived in. She got really teased when she would be there without Ali, just waiting for the brunette to return. Granted, the girls all liked Ashlyn, and they all got along snice it wasn’t some stuck up sorority with high fees and rich parents, so there was something calming about the group of girls. They were genuine.

But that’s what was happening today. She’d been at the house studying with Sydney for about an hour now while Ali finished up her last class of the day. Ashlyn’s room that she shared with Whitney just seemed to quiet recently compared to the noise and hustle of the sorority. Ashlyn would never join officially, but she liked to be able to be there.

She could never call Ali her sorority sister. Ew. Gross.

“You’ve got everyone fawning over you, huh?”

Ashlyn shrugged without looking up. “Not everyone.”

“Thanks for the flowers, by the way,” Ali said, pulling a book from her own bag she dropped on the floor, maneuvering herself to drop her head to Ashlyn’s lap. She didn’t start reading yet, just looked up at the blonde. “I have them next to my bed in my room upstairs. They’re gorgeous.”

And now, brunette locks of hair were draped all over her history book. Ashlyn arched an eyebrow at the brown eyes looking up at her. “You’re welcome, you told me daisies were your favorite, but I still need to study, flowers or no flowers.”

Sydney scoffed from the window. “You need to teach Dom a thing or two. He got me flowers once and that was it. A year we’ve been together, and one tiny bouquet of roses on Valentine’s Day.” She shook her head again in her boyfriend’s expense. “I mean, how uncreative can you be.”

Ali chuckled at her friend, still unmoving from Ashlyn’s book and she reached up to toy with the sleeve of Ashlyn’s shirt. Slowly, she grabbed the blonde’s arm, pulled it towards her, and started to trace the patterns of the tattoo sleeve along Ashlyn’s forearm. She was going to pull back when she felt the goosebumps arise just from Ali’s touch, but she thought better of it.

Be vulnerable, Whitney had said.

Be gentle, Whitney had said.

Let her come to you, Whitney had said.

She’s got a long way to go, don’t push it, Whitney had said.

It sucked.

Ali finally laced their fingers together on her stomach, and Ashlyn’s eyes were glued to the spot when Ali spoke. “How bad do you need to study today?”

Ashlyn thought about it. She had some tests Thursday and Friday, but it was only Monday. So she needed a head start, but not six hours’ worth. “Umm, not a whole lot. Just enough so I don’t have to cram it all in on Wednesday. Why?”

“Want to go to dinner tonight?”

“Sure, what did you have in mind?”

“Not like our normal dinners,” Ali pointed out, pausing in the movement of her fingers on Ashlyn’s skin to tilt her head up and look at the blonde. “I mean like a date-date.”

“A date-date?” Ashlyn felt her heart tense, but she did her best to play it as unfreaked out as possible. Holy shit, were things finally progressing.

“Yeah, a date-date,” Ali said, moving back to look at Ashlyn’s hand and trace the tattoos. “You know, you pick me up. We drive in your car to a fancy restaurant–”

“You have hot sex afterwards in the back parking lot,” Sydney interrupted teasingly. Ali immediately grabbed the closest pen and threw it at her friend, a successful throw that popped off Sydney’s shoulder. “Ow! Jerk.”

“Don’t give her ideas.”

Sydney scoffed. “Oh, please, Als, get real. This poor girl has probably fantasized every possible thing in the world with how long you’ve taken to get to this point. I wouldn’t be able to think of an idea Ashlyn didn’t already conjure up herself.”

For once, the blonde actually blushed because Sydney didn’t know how accurate that really was. Over a month of no sex meant plenty of time to think about sex. Lots of it, actually.

Ali released Ashlyn’s hand and moved up, turning to look at Ashlyn who was frozen in her spot, unsure how serious this was about to turn. “Ashlyn Harris, don’t you dare try anything tonight, understood?”

Ashlyn swallowed the lump in her throat before speaking. “For the record, I didn’t’ say anything. Sydney said that.”

“We all know it’s probably true.”

“It’s definitely true,” Ashlyn answered. Be honest, Whitney said. How honest should she be? Like, honestly, was there a limit? “I can’t help it sometimes.”

“This is not a hook up,” Ali pointed out, finger poking Ashlyn in the chest to prove her point, no pun intended. “Got it? I’m not just giving it away.”

Ashlyn held her hands up defensively. “Trust me, I’m well aware of that.”

“No funny business then?”

“None.”

“Promise?” Ali demanded.

She nodded. “Yeah, yeah, promise. My lips are sealed from a respectable distance.”

“Good.” Ali then leaned in, kissing Ashlyn’s cheek again for the fiftieth damn time in a month before she hopped up. “I’ll see you tonight then.”

Ashlyn watched her walk off in the tight fitting pair of jeans before she snapped out of it suddenly. “Wait, Ali, where are we going? When are we going tonight?”

“That’s your job to figure out,” she called back, running up the stairs of the sorority house. “I’ll be ready by eight.”

Ashlyn immediately looked at Sydney, who looked back at her with sympathy. “You, my friend, are screwed.”

\------------------------------------

Ashlyn walked up with Ali tucked against her arm, smiling down at the brunette as they made it to the front of the sorority house. She looked up, noticing a few lights still on even though it was pushing midnight by now. Ashlyn paused at the last step, letting Ali up to allow the brunette to look slightly down at her.

As if she couldn’t stop, she toyed with the front of Ashlyn’s blazer. “I didn’t know you were a blazer girl. You look really hot when you dress up.”

“As opposed to any other day?” Ashlyn asked with an arched eyebrow.

“You’re always hot,” Ali shrugged, hands sliding up to Ashlyn’s shoulders to wrap around her neck. “And I’ve been looking forward to the goodnight kiss all night.”

“Oh yeah?” Ashlyn smiled, her hands going to settle on Ali’s hips. The material of the dress Ali wore was tight, allowing Ashlyn to imagine how it’d feel if it was skin to skin. “Me too.”

“You know,” Ali said, twirling a string of Ashlyn’s blonde locks in between her fingers and staring at it as if she was thinking deeply. “I wanted to apologize.”

“Do you?”

“And you’ve been really patient with me.”

Ashlyn felt Ali internally hide with the last statement, as if she was ashamed of it. She squeezed Ali’s hip, getting the brunette to meet her eyes again. “Hey, I chose to be as patient as you asked of me. I could’ve walked away.” She smiled up at the girl who was obviously nervous. “I didn’t.”

Ali nodded, a deep sigh escaping between her lips. “I need you to know something before this goes further. “

Normally Ashlyn would joke about how they’ve barely gone anywhere anyway, but she sense that this was a more serious comment. One she wasn’t expecting, considering how easy going the dinner was. It had been a good and successful night until now, and Ashlyn wasn’t sure where the turn was. “Okay. Tell me.”

“Not here,” Ali sighed, biting her lip as she looked back at the house. It was obvious people were still awake. “Do you want to get out of here?”

Ashlyn frowned. “Ali, are you okay? I’m kind of worried now.”

“Most of the girls know about this,” she said slowly. “But not all of them. Emily recently found out. Baby Rose doesn't know, neither does Lindsey and a few other freshmen. And I’ve told people in my own time. I just–”

Ali’s phone going off made them both jump. Ali’s hand dropped from Ashlyn’s shoulders, and she missed the touch instantly. Fishing her phone out, Ali quickly went pale when she read the contact. “Fuck.”

Rarely did Ali cuss. She was so pristine all the time, that it caught Ashlyn off guard. “Who is it?”

Ali just stared at the phone, panicked. “Um, it’s um, it’s my mom.”

“It’s kind of late for her to call at this point, right?”

“That’s not the point Ashlyn.”

“Okay? You and Debbie have a good relationship. Why the weird face?”

Ali was obviously not breathing, just staring, and Ashlyn reached out for her, hand sliding around Ali’s hips to rest on her back. She relaxed under the touch, so Ashlyn kept that as a good sign. “Ali, you might want to answer it.”

“Right,” she cleared her throat, wiping at a tear Ashlyn hadn’t noticed and finally answered. The look on her face broke Ashlyn’s heart. “Mom?” Her voice made it even worse, and Ashlyn had never felt so protective over someone. “How is he? Is he okay?”

Ashlyn watched with confusion. He? Who is he? She didn’t want to draw any conclusions, but she pulled her hand back, shoving them into her pockets as Ali spoke.

“So, not a hundred percent? He didn’t… Oh thank God. No, is he going to be okay?... What do you mean he - .” The brunette sighed. “Yeah, okay. I don't like this... Well Kyle can't just choose when he - No! I - ugh... fine.”

She hung up after that, taking a deep, shaky breath that Ashlyn watched her struggle to inhale.

“Ali? Are you–”

Arms suddenly engulfed her. Ashlyn almost stumbled, but she grabbed the railing on the stairs as Ali buried her head in Ashlyn’s neck and morphed herself to the blonde in a hug. Ashlyn felt the shaking, and then noticed the sounds of Ali’s crying. Then the tears. She wasn’t sure how long she stood there, holding a crying Ali Krieger, but suddenly Sydney was poking her head on the other side of the glass by the door, looking at Ashlyn puzzled.

Ashlyn shrugged with a facial expression she hoped was understandable. Sydney had bit her lip before someone, assuming Becky, grabbed her and yanked her away from the door. Ashlyn as grateful for the privacy for Ali’s sake, but also wished that one of Ali’s friends were out here to help her. She’d only known Ali coming up on a month and a half. She didn’t know how to handle this situation.

“Ali?” She got no response, just a tightening of the arms around her neck. Ashlyn wasn’t sure what to do but to tighten her own grip around Ali’s waist. A few more minutes went passed. “Ali?” Nothing. She tried another approach. “Baby, I need you to talk to me if I’m going to help at all. I have no idea what’s going on. Which that doesn’t say much because our whole relationship or whatever has confused me since this started, but this is extra confusing and I really just want to help you, please.”

She took a couple hiccup breaths, and Ashlyn patiently waited until Ali finally pulled back. She wiped her eyes where the tears has burst through, and Ashlyn reached up to cup her face and try to help her relax. Ali leaned into the touch before making the eye contact that Ashlyn so badly wanted.

“What happened?”

Ali took a shaky breath, closing her eyes briefly before she opened them again. “I’m sorry, I was expecting good news but I was expecting it tomorrow. My brother, he – he was supposed to get out of rehab tomorrow.”

Ashlyn tried to recall Ali ever mentioning a brother, but none came to mind. There were no pictures of a guy other than her dad in her bedroom. Ashlyn knew she listened, she paid attention, but who was this guy? “What’s his name?”

“Kyle.”

“Okay,” She said slowly, unsure how to get Ali to talk without pressuring her. The girl seemed to look like she was going to break down at any point again. “Tell me something good about him?”

The question must have caught her off guard. “What?”

“Come on,” Ashlyn continued, thinking about how to not avoid the subject but to distract Ali enough until she can comprehend whatever the call was about. “Let’s go drive around. You can tell me about your brother.” She dropped her hands from Ali’s cheeks, reaching to lace their fingers together.

Ali was quiet for a moment, following Ashlyn before she finally caught on and linked their arms together, leaning heavily on the blonde. “I’m sorry for–”

“Don’t,” Ashlyn raised her finger to Ali’s lips quickly, cutting the girl off. ”Don’t apologize. Whatever is going on, I’m sure you’ll tell me when you’re ready.”

\-----------------------------------------

Four days later, Ashlyn found herself lying on Ali’s bed, staring at the ceiling while tossing a soccer ball up and down as the brunette she was quickly developing more than shallow feelings for. Her tests went well that week, Friday night finally was coming around, and despite her reputation she as lying on the bed of a woman who had YET to kiss her once, but she didn’t want to be anywhere else.

“Can you stop apologizing?” Ali sighed, looking at her brother through the computer screen. “Kyle, I only want you to be better. Not a better person, but better health wise. You were so close.”

Ashlyn tried to tone out the conversation as it seemed private anytime the two siblings talked. Yesterday, Kyle had scheduled a call with Ali and Ashlyn was prepared to walk out to give them privacy. Ali had refused, stating she needed the blonde there and she had sounded desperate. To feel that needed… it felt good. Despite the situation, Ashlyn felt good that Ali wanted her there.

She was starting to catch onto what Ali’s view of Relationships was right. It wasn’t physical. It was emotional.

She’d yet to ever kiss Ali before, but she had no doubt that she’d go to war for Ali Krieger now. Gone were the jokes about temptations, about needing this or that. She just needed Ali, however Ali wanted to give her over. And Ashlyn was fine with it. She accepted it.

She had made the mistake of telling Whitney last night, and that was a conversation she never wanted to repeat. If she had a dollar every time Whitney said ‘I told you so’, Ashlyn would be able to pay off her car.

Failing to focus on the ball in her hands, her ears kept catching the conversation to her right, the back of Ali Krieger drawing her attention.  
“I’ll get better, I promise. And Mom made it sound more dramatic than it was–”

“It can be a drink, twelve drinks, or a sip, Kyle. An alcoholic drink just sucks you back in every time. I – I need you to be stronger, Kyle.”

“I’m trying, Ali!”

“I know, I just, God can’t you just–”

“Be perfect like you?” He had shot back, and Ashlyn watched Ali stiffen. “I mean, God, Ali. We can’t all have the perfect grades, the perfect life, the perfect sorority. Some of us fuck up for a living, alright?”

“You’re not a fu–”

“You don’t get it.” Kyle laughed dryly without humor, and Ashlyn knew that kind of laugh. She braced for what was coming. “Dad loves you. You’re Mom’s favorite. I mean, I’m the first born, but definitely not the number one kid. Have you ever thought about how I’m older but yet I still have to look up to my sister on her God damn pedestal?”

Ali was quiet, and Ashlyn wanted to console her. Then, to everyone’s surprise, Ali stood from her desk chair angrily. “Fuck you Kyle.” And she stormed off to the bathroom, slamming the door as she went.

For some reason, Kyle didn’t log off immediately. Ashlyn slowly sat up on the bed, looking between the bathroom and the computer before deciding that sitting there was pointless. She dropped into Ali’s chair, and at the noise Kyle looked up from his room at the rehab center and virtually looked at Ashlyn.

“What do you want, Ashlyn?”

Ashlyn and Kyle had met briefly yesterday on a call with Ali, before Ashlyn had popped some headphones in to study. But now, she felt like it was better to at least talk to the guy than sit there and not do anything about it. She didn’t hear Ali crying, and when the shower started up, she figured that it was as good a time as any to speak her mind.

“Your sister loves you, and this is killing her seeing you like this.”

He had some bags under his eyes, his face unshaven and messy as well, his beard growing unevenly. And his hair was down and in his face. Ali had prided that her brother was an appearance guru. Ashlyn had yet to see it.

He statement seemed to jog some memory though. He sighed, running a hand through his messy hair. “She just, she thinks it’s as simple as saying no to a drink.”

“Isn’t it?”

He scoffed. “Of course, you don’t understand either.”

She didn’t. Not fully. But she knew what it was like to be used to having something daily and having it stripped away. Or, in her case, voluntarily giving it up for something better. How could she articulate that without pointing out she may have been a premature sex addict and was now interested in his baby sister?

“I understand that decisions are hard,” she started, noticing how he looked up as he spoke. “But you have to compare those decisions to something other than yourself.”

“What?”

“I don’t know what they tell you at Rehab, but I can’t imagine it’s very fun or helpful. They can say all they want, but anyone you care about is going to trump the opinion of a stranger. So if they tell you at rehab that you’re stronger than your addiction, and then someone from your past offers you a drink telling you that you’re not, you’re going to take the drink, am I right? I mean, who are you going to believe?”

He stared at her for a few moments before scratching at his beard with a bashful, ashamed look falling over his features. “Maybe you do get it.”

“You have to pick something to hold onto,” She continued. “Something that can beat your addiction, the people that drew you to that addiction, to anything associated with it.”

He took that in for a moment, frowning until he sighed and dropped in head to his hands. “Ali is the strongest anchor I have in my life, and I can’t believe what I just said to her. She's just so... frustrating sometimes.”

“Trust me, I get it," Ashlyn chuckled. "She’s also the most forgiving person I’ve ever met. Don’t sell your sister short at all. She’s all about communication and you need to be honest with her. You kind of were, but how about we be honest about the good things too? The yelling the past few days is reminding me of my grandparents.”

He nodded, head down, before wiping his eyes briefly. “Right, I just snapped. It’s these stupid medicines, but yeah. I’ll try.”

“Good.”

An awkward silence fell over the two, the shower sounds behind Ashlyn still ongoing. She wasn’t sure where to go from here. Kyle would talk to Ali. Ali would listen. That’s great.

Now what?

“So,” he said slowly. “Care to tell me about your intentions with my sister?”

\------------------------------

Ashlyn felt the weight pressing down on her before she really knew what was happening. Her eyes slowly started to open, groaning at the light that shown through the window behind her. Her hands came up to the weight on her hips, and she finally popped her eyes open at the chuckle above her.

“Ali?”

“Hey stud,” she smiled down, hands on either side of Ashlyn’s head against the pillows. Ashlyn, despite herself, blushed at the position they were in. And Ali was in nothing but a t-shirt and panties, based on the fact at Ashlyn reached for her hips and the cloth contact was minimal. Her eyes widened and Ali just beamed down at her. “Good morning.”

Ashlyn looked away, as if she was a child with a crush. “Umm, hi.” She cleared her throat of the sleepy feeling, trying to breathe easy and not sound as aroused as she felt. “How – how did I–”

“You fell asleep on the couch last night after movie night,” Ali stated. She reached forward, grabbing the strings on Ashlyn’s hoodie and twirling them with a devilish smile. “Kelley was disappointed in you. You were late. And then you didn't even watch it.”

“I guess I did vote to watch 21 Jump Street and should've made it at least half way through the movie.”

“Why were you so tired? I didn’t see you much most of the day until last night but you showed up looking exhausted.”

Well, she had spent the entire day talking to Kyle. He needed someone, didn’t want Ali there, and Deb was busy. So she… made the trip to see him. She’d known him less than a week, but he needed someone. And Ali was busy with the Sorority doing her duties or whatever. Ashlyn finished her tests. It seemed like a good idea at three thirty in the afternoon, but it showed to be a really bad idea when she got back at eleven and was exhausted.

“I – um – I made a trip.”

Ali frowned, leaning back. Ashlyn felt all her weight on her pelvis now, and God it felt torturously good. She gripped Ali’s hips tighter with nervous fingers just out of pure instinct. “You left town?”

“Only briefly.”

“You didn’t tell me.” It was definitely more of an offended statement than it was a question.

Ashlyn wasn’t sure how this was going from Ali waking her up by straddling her to feeling like she’s under interrogation. She tried to sit up to talk, gain some ground. “Ali, I can explain–”

Ali pushed her down again, hand dropping to her shoulder. And Ashlyn felt that to her core. “You better explain. I had my phone on me. You could’ve at least told me.”

“I didn’t want you to worry–”

“It’s not about worry, but God if you crashed I wouldn’t even know if you were okay or where you were or–”

“Well, it’s not like we’re dating, right?” Ashlyn shot back, but she hated herself as soon as she said it.

Ali’s face went from worried and slight offense to complete and total aggravation and dejection. “You’re right. I guess we’re not.” She immediately got up, reaching down on the floor and yanked on a pair of sweatpants. “Come on, Ashlyn. I knew we were going slow but that’s because I know how you are. Your reputation isn’t exactly a shallow one. God, the night we met was enough to make me hesitate so much with you.”

“What? You think we’d have sex and I’d just move on?” Ashlyn shot back, ready for an argument. If Ali wanted to point out faults, Ashlyn could do. “Just because I had sex a lot doesn’t mean I’m not committed. Hell, how you can be committed to anything if you can’t trust people, Ail?”

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. “I trust plenty of people.”

“What, like your sorority sisters?” Ashlyn jumped out of the bed, ignoring the fact she only had her tiger shark boxers on and stood her ground against Ali. “Half of them don’t even know Kyle exists, Ali! I didn’t until this week. That’s not something you hide from people that you trust.”

“I’m not going to just point out my brother is in a rehabilitation facility–”

“Because your ashamed of him?”

Ali’s jaw dropped and she immediately shoved Ashlyn back. “Don’t you dare say that. I’m not ashamed of my brother.”

Ashlyn about that it by now. Her heart was racing with the array of emotions she’d felt in the last hundred and twenty seconds and she couldn’t stop herself from blurting out, “That’s how he feels, Ali! Can’t you see that you’re part of the problem?”

Silence echoed throughout Ali’s bedroom. No words could describe the amount of anxiety that pounded through Ashlyn’s veins, but despite all the warnings telling her to shut the hell up and just leave, she didn’t. She took a deep breath, lowered her voice, and continued.

“Ali, I know you love your brother. He knows that too. But when you have an addiction like that in your head, what you hear and what you listen to aren’t the same thing. He hears that you love him. He does. But he listens to the fact that you hide him from your friends, which I didn’t know he existed until now. And that breaks his heart. And if he can’t focus on himself, if he’s so focused on how you view him, he’ll never get better.” Ashlyn took a moment, letting that sink in for Ali. And when the tears started to form in the brunette’s eyes, Ashlyn took a tentative step forward. “You can’t hide him and love him at the same time. You don’t even have a picture of him in your room.”

Ali glanced around, as if she was just now noticing that fact as well. “I–” she took a shaky breath. “I didn’t mean to do that. I just didn’t want questions, and–”

Ashlyn took another step forward, hands going to Ali’s shoulders to offer some comfort. “Ali, I went to his rehab facility yesterday.”

The brown eyes shot to Ashlyn’s faster than a bullet. “What?”

“Can we sit down, please?” Ashlyn gestured to the bed. Ali hesitated. “Please?” Eventually, the brunette moved to the bed and dropped down, legs hanging off. Ashlyn dropped next to her, hands to herself. “You remember the night you came out of the shower and I was still talking to your brother on the computer?”

Ali sniffed away some tears and nodded.

“We talked a lot while you cooled off. I gave him my number, in case he ever needed it. Whether we worked out, stayed friends, dated, whatever. Your brother needed to know that there was more than you, your mom, and your dad in his corner. He was supposed to come home this week, and he failed. He knows that. And he knows how disappointed you were in him.”

“I wasn’t–” It was obviously that Ali was going to argue that but the look Ashlyn gave her shut her down. “I was just disappointed I didn’t get to see him, that he wasn’t better.”

“He needed a friend, not someone superior to him to tell him how easy it should be. It’s not easy. And when he called me yesterday, I understood why he did.”

Ali frowned. “He called you? Why?”

“Yesterday was family day at the rehab center. They hosted a dinner.”

Ali’s frown deepened. “My – my mom didn’t tell me.”

With hope that Ali would start to understand this situation, the blonde continued. “Your mom didn’t know.”

“But-” the thinking face was on, so Ashlyn stayed quiet when Ali paused. “Kyle didn’t tell us? Why wouldn’t he tell us? Why wouldn’t he want us there?”

Ashlyn nodded. “He was supposed to get out before it, so he didn’t bother. When he ended up staying longer, he was too ashamed to ask. But he hit a black hole yesterday morning, realizing no one would be there for him. He called me freaking out. So I–”

“You went to see my brother to help him,” Ali answered, slowly turning her gaze from her hands on her lap to Ashlyn’s eyes that tried to convey everything she meant. “You were there for my brother when I wasn’t.”

Ashlyn reached over now, gripping Ali’s hand and lacing their fingers together. She’d never get tired of holding Ali’s perfect manicured fingers. “It was his choice this time, but he mentioned letting you know that the next one is in two weeks. He wants us there.”

Ali bit her lip in thought. “Us?”

“Us, you and me. Your mom and dad are quite vocal about their disapproval, from what he said, so he doesn’t want them there until he can talk to you.” She shrugged one shoulder lightly, “You know, family drama and all. Deal with one problem at a time.”

“You came back late looking exhausted last night,” Ali pointed out, finally realizing the damage she did, Ashlyn hoped. “How was he?”

“Tired too,” Ashlyn answered honestly. “I did only meet the guy virtually less than a week ago for the first time. I don’t know what he’s like healthy, but he seemed to have a skip in his step yesterday. Not quite jumping, but a light little something.”

It was quiet for what felt like a long time as Ali took everything in. Ashlyn sat patiently, waiting. Last year, this would’ve been the kind of baggage that made Ashlyn run for the hills in a new relationship. Something about Ali, about Kyle, about the girls in the house and everything made Ashlyn want to stay though. There was a community around them that she wanted to be a part of. She hoped one day she’d also get to be with Ali the way she wants to, but she’d wait as long as she had to if that meant–

Her thoughts were cut off as a sensation of lips pressing against her made her mind go completely blank. In fact, her whole body went limp within two point 3 seconds and she fell back against the bed. Ali followed suite, and Ashlyn got enough sense in her brain to at least kiss back with the fever that Ali started with.

Ali chased her lips as they collapsed onto the mattress, and Ashlyn never felt her body temperature rise quite like how Ali made it. She felt hot everywhere almost instantly. Her brain started to misfire. Her hands knew muscle memory at least, sliding up Ali’s legs where the brunette had moved to straddle her again. They settled on the waistband of the gray sweatpants, but Ashlyn couldn’t focus enough on her hands as she did on Ali’s lips.

Ali’s perfect lips, connecting with her and pressing and pulling. Heaven must be real, Ashlyn thought. Slowly, the kiss went from feverish to gentle, and finally with a peck, Ali pulled back, breathing heavy.

Ashlyn looked up at the move perfect scene she thought she’d ever lay her eyes on. Nothing in the world was going to top this.

“I’m sorry,” Ali immediately stated, eyes going wide at what she just did. “I didn’t mean to – I mean I did. I just couldn’t not and you were–”

“It’s fine,” Ashlyn chuckled, reaching up to cup Ali’s face gentle. She pulled the brunette down again, already feeling like if she kissed ALI forever that it still wouldn’t be enough. Lucky for her, Ali let her dictate the kiss momentarily before pulling back again. “I’ve been waiting to do that for over a month.”

“I know,’ Ali blushed. “You haven’t hid it well.”

“I can’t help it.”

Ali ducked her head then, dropping her forehead to Ashlyn’s neck in embarrassment. The blonde wrapped her arms around Ali tentatively and then more securely. They needed to talk about where the stand now more than ever, but she wasn’t sure how to bring it up.

Ali started the conversation. “My brother is the most important person in my life,” she mumbled into Ashlyn’s sweatshirt, her hand moving to help push her back up. Ashlyn watched as their eyes met and she moved her palms to Ali’s face, needing to touch her. “And you took care of him when I didn’t.”

“It was just a sibling miscommunication. It happens all the time with me and Chris.”

Ali sighed and Ashlyn frowned. Was she missing something? “Ash, I’ve been waiting a long time for someone who could understand my family dynamics. A brother with an addiction. A father who has two gay kids and is completely distraught about it. A mother who is way to invasive for her own good but doesn’t know how to stop. I’ve waited a long ass time. And you came stumbling up to the cabin and I thought, great another one to deal with. But then, that next morning, you were charming. You apologized. You – you made me realize you’re human.”

Ashlyn nodded, swiping the brunette hair from Ali’s face as she spoke.

“And I fell for you a little bit then. I fall for you a little more with every bit of flowers you give me, when you buy me coffee, when you hold the door. I feel myself weak at the knees when you drove thirty minutes away to help Rose with her flat tire, when you volunteered to run a bouncy house for kids at our fundraiser a few weeks ago. You didn’t complain once. Those kids adored you. You have a heart of gold, Ashlyn.” Ali dropped a hand to that place that was pounding under Ashlyn’s chest at the confessions. “And I love you for that.”

Her eyes immediately widened. “Wh – what?”

“I love you, Ashlyn. You’ve been my best friend for a short time, but I trust you as much as I trust Sydney and Kelley and Christen and Tobin and Emily and I trust you more than almost all of them combined at this point. I care about you. And I didn’t realize how much you cared about me because I was scared and ignored it. I ignored all these feelings, but I can’t anymore.”

Ashlyn swallowed the lump of emotion in her throat. She wondered if Ali could feel how fast her heart was beating right now. Adrenaline, confessions. It was getting her blood pumping faster than anticipated.

“Can we make this officially official?” Ali asked with a pleading tone. She dropped her forehead to Ashlyn’s and their lips pressed together again. “I can’t stand you being single anymore.”

Ashlyn smiled against the brunette lips and spoke into Ali’s mouth, saying, “I can’t stand it either. Although I’ve been yours for well over a month now, Ali Krieger.”

Another kiss sealed the deal, and Ashlyn had never experienced these feelings before, but God it was welcomed with open arms. The woman she loved was always welcomed, arms wide open.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think. Thanks for reading! Support means everything :)


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